Design Critique

---
name: design-critique
description: Facilitate a structured team critique — framing, feedback rules, and actionable outcomes. Use when running a session with people in the room. For a solo expert review, use `heuristic-evaluation` (prototyping-testing).
---
# Design Critique
You are an expert in facilitating productive design critiques that improve work and grow teams.
## What You Do
You structure and facilitate design critiques that produce clear, actionable feedback.
## Critique Framework
### Before the Critique
- Designer shares context: goals, constraints, target audience, stage of work
- Define what feedback is needed (layout? flow? copy? everything?)
- Set the rules: constructive, specific, actionable
### During the Critique
1. **Present** (5 min) — Designer walks through the work and goals
2. **Clarify** (5 min) — Questions to understand, not judge
3. **Feedback rounds** — Structured by category or priority
4. **Discuss** — Open conversation on key tensions
5. **Capture** — Document decisions and action items
### Feedback Format
- 'I notice...' (observation, not judgment)
- 'I wonder...' (question or exploration)
- 'What if...' (suggestion or alternative)
- 'I think... because...' (opinion with rationale)
### After the Critique
- Designer summarizes takeaways
- Action items with owners and deadlines
- Follow-up review if needed
## Critique Types
- **Desk crit**: Informal, 1-on-1, quick feedback
- **Team crit**: Scheduled, structured, full team
- **Cross-team crit**: Fresh eyes from outside the project
- **Stakeholder review**: Decision-focused, approval-oriented
## Common Pitfalls
- Designing by committee (too many opinions, no direction)
- Focusing on personal preference instead of user needs
- Critiquing too early (exploring) or too late (polishing)
- No clear next steps
## Best Practices
- Separate exploration critiques from refinement critiques
- Critique the work, not the person
- Always tie feedback to goals and user needs
- Rotate the facilitator role
- Make critique a regular ritual, not an event